The day the music dies: Lala flips the off switch May 31 (Updated)

Apple is pulling the plug on the streaming music service it bought just a few …

Online CD swapping service turned online music streaming service Lala is beginning the process of shutting down starting today. The service is no longer accepting new users, and current users won't be able to upload new songs from their library. Web streaming and mp3 downloads will continue to be available until May 31.

Lala spent the last couple of years transforming itself into a viable streaming service, offering DRM-free mp3 downloads as well as a 10¢ per song web streaming option. Last fall, the company also struck a deal with Google to provide streaming music clips for relevant artist, song, or lyric searches. Despite its successes, Lala wasn't yet in a position to turn a profit any time soon.

Then this past December, Apple acquired Lala without indicating its plans for the service. Several reports suggested that Apple would fold Lala into iTunes, either offering its own streaming service, or developing a cloud-based alternative to the local iTunes library. Such a service could be accessible from any web browser when away from home, and likely from Apple's stable of mobile devices, though the company had made no announcement to offer such a service.

Lala's website explains that users will (of course) be able to keep any downloaded songs. The full balance spent on web song purchases, along with any unused wallet or gift card balance will be transferred automatically to iTunes Store credit. Users have the option to request a refund of wallet credit only in the form of a check, as long as that request is received before May 31.

Links to Lala are still showing up in Google searches this morning, though it seems likely this may go away at the end of May as well. Apple had not responded to our request for comment at the time of publishing.

UPDATE: Apple confirmed that Lala as a company will cease to exist after May 31, and by extension will no longer have streaming songs for Google search results. If or when a replacement service might becoming, Apple wouldn't say, as it does not comment about future products or services.